Socio-occupational and employment profile of patients with epilepsy

ObjectiveEpilepsy has a significant impact on quality of life. Many studies have observed higher unemployment rates among patients with epilepsy. However, unemployment rates vary according to the clinical conditions, country, and group studied.MethodsBetween October 2007 and February 2008, we performed a cross-sectional multicenter epidemiological study to evaluate the socio-occupational and employment profiles of 872 adult patients with epilepsy followed in outpatient epilepsy clinics in Spain.ResultsFifty-eight percent of the patients were employed at the time of the survey, 10.9% of the patients were unemployed, and 12.5% were occupationally incapacitated.ConclusionPatients with epilepsy had employment rates similar to those of the general population, and slightly higher levels of unemployment. The main factors associated with unemployment and incapacity were the presence of refractory epilepsy, the occurrence of a seizure in the last 12 months, level of education, and polytherapy.

Research highlights
► Patients with epilepsy had employment rates similar to those of the general population.
► Patients had slightly higher levels of unemployment.
► There was an association between clinical variables and employment status.